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Zelenskyy refuses to give up Donbas in talks with Trump - Reuters

Zelenskyy refuses to give up Donbas in talks with Trump - Reuters Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refused to give Russia the Donbas in a conversation with US President Donald Trump, Reuters reports.

Yesterday, a meeting took place in Alaska between Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. The key topic was the war in Ukraine and possible ways to end it.

After the summit, Trump had a phone conversation with Zelenskyy, and later not only with him but also with European leaders.

A Reuters source familiar with the discussions cited Trump’s words that Putin proposed freezing most of the frontline if the Ukrainian army surrendered all of Donbas, which is one of Moscow’s main objectives.

“Zelenskyy rejected the demand, the source said,” the media outlet writes.

Territories in exchange for peace

The Putin-Trump meeting in Alaska began in the evening of August 15. It ran for several hours and ended in the early hours of August 16.

Shortly after, the heads of state held a press conference, made a number of statements, but provided no specific details. One thing was clear - no ceasefire was reached.

After Trump left Alaska, he gave an interview to Fox News, then called Zelenskyy and European leaders, and also made several social media posts.

In particular, in the interview, he advised Zelenskyy to make a deal with Russia, which could be the result of a trilateral meeting of the leaders of Ukraine, the US, and Russia. At the same time, Trump noted that the further course of events depends on the Ukrainian President.

In addition, Trump said that the territorial issue was raised during the negotiations with Putin, although on the eve of the meeting, during previous conversations with Zelenskyy and European leaders, he had assured that the territorial issue would not be discussed.

Furthermore, after today’s call, Trump wrote that “it was determined by all” that the best way to end the war in Ukraine is to move toward a peace agreement, not a ceasefire.

Bloomberg also reported that during the conversation, Trump conveyed Putin’s unchanged position - the Russian President still demands the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbas.

Media reports also indicate that Putin, in exchange for Donbas, is ready to halt fighting in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and according to the American side, the Kremlin leader is willing to discuss the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Sumy and Kharkiv regions.

There were also reports that Trump is ready to provide Ukraine with security guarantees on NATO principles. However, the details of the mechanism are unknown.

At the same time, there is official news that Zelenskyy will visit Washington on Monday to discuss ending the war.